The Leonine Games [Afternoon 1]

[Kannon]

"I wonder where in all this the reason I came here for can be addressed." He sighed, his expression more ashen.

[Emcas]

Emcas was not please at having to leave his lady's side in a time where the shadows grew longer by the hour. Still she had been clear: help, guide and assist the motley band of visitors.

There was not chance of going against the flow of the river on this one. He either needed to help steer the ship they were on or, at least, not have it capsize.

Thus he moved amongst the crowd looking for her ladyship's guests. Either the wine merchant and his capable assistant or the Imperial planetologist and the gastronomic adventurer.

[Nirilli]

In the grandstand where all were assembling, Nirilli alighted from an ornithopter and looked for Lady Salomea and her Bene Gesserit guests.

So far only the Strategos was present, and she did not have any business with him.

Hmmm...

Best to take a moment and look around.

To those who had not seen her before, she was a graceful slender figure, in a moss green dress and the head-covering worn by the local Zensunni tribal women. She had a necklace of green clamshells. Her voice had an unusual melodic quality. She moved like a servant. Head bowed, but keenly attentive to those around her.

[Cuyler Gray]

"I wonder where in all this the reason I came here for can be addressed." He sighed, his expression more ashen.

"We need to make connections that will allow us access and a means of procurement." She said softly. "That's my priority Dr. Vim. I assure you."

[Laila Bridger]

"You see Xard or Culyer anywhere?"

So many damn people... Prad Vidal's palace hadn't seen this much actual traffic. Ever.

The last time Laila had been around this many people at once had been, well, Grumman, and that hadn't been a particularly good time in her life.

[Sister Shinah]

Shinah had arrived at the games and busied herself at looking out over the teeming crowd from above it all.

So many people.

She pressed thin lips together in a sign of mild disapproval and steadied on for what was to come.

[Kannon]

"We need to make connections that will allow us access and a means of procurement." She said softly. "That's my priority Dr. Vim. I assure you."

He wasn't a exactly smiley person but he solemnly nodded. "Thank you." Then he had a thought. "Speaking of connections."

He tried their short-range comms. "This is dr Vim. I am with Ms Cuyler on the Far West Escalator."

[Kannon]

In the grandstand where all were assembling, Nirilli alighted from an ornithopter and looked for Lady Salomea and her Bene Gesserit guests.

[...]

To those who had not seen her before, she was a graceful slender figure, in a moss green dress and the head-covering worn by the local Zensunni tribal women. She had a necklace of green clamshells. Her voice had an unusual melodic quality. She moved like a servant. Head bowed, but keenly attentive to those around her.

Nirilli wouldn't be waiting long. The Bene Gesserit arrived soon after her.

Shinah had arrived at the games and busied herself at looking out over the teeming crowd from above it all.

So many people.

She pressed thin lips together in a sign of mild disapproval and steadied on for what was to come.

Reverend Mother Cordana and Lady Salomea seemed more interested in the quiet conversation between each other than in the swelling, teeming mass of anxiously excited people. Even without understanding the words, which could not actually be understood as they were speaking in some obscure language, one could tell the relationship was one of deference, obeisance even, of the younger toward the elder.

Nirilli's presence had surely been noticed, it was certainly unusual in the antipodal section, but not yet addressed.

[Laila Bridger]

He tried their short-range comms. "This is dr Vim. I am with Ms Cuyler on the Far West Escalator."

"On our way."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"You see Xard or Culyer anywhere?"

He tried their short-range comms. "This is dr Vim. I am with Ms Cuyler on the Far West Escalator."

"Well, there's our answer." Hadrian grinned at Laila as he moved to respond.

"On our way."

"Whoa wait hold on, probably not the best idea just yet."

"We're not far. But lets hold off, with the crowd as large as it is we can maintain our cover and talk plainly." He looked at Laila before continuing, "We were sort of outed at the onset, but the waters are murky enough for us to proceed without a clear line connecting us. And I think it's better that you two stay clean and free to move about without scrutiny."

He whispers to Laila, "Should we perhaps come up with code names as well?"

[Laila Bridger]

He whispers to Laila, "Should we perhaps come up with code names as well?"

"Time for that was before we landed..."

[Kannon]

Emcas was not please at having to leave his lady's side in a time where the shadows grew longer by the hour. Still she had been clear: help, guide and assist the motley band of visitors.

There was not chance of going against the flow of the river on this one. He either needed to help steer the ship they were on or, at least, not have it capsize.

Thus he moved amongst the crowd looking for her ladyship's guests. Either the wine merchant and his capable assistant or the Imperial planetologist and the gastronomic adventurer.

[Hard Perception. Otherwise, he knows where they ultimately should be going.]

[Emcas]

Emcas was inconfortable in the crowd. He was used to be attentive to the dangers immediate to Xanthe's safety not search a crowd.

He frowned and made his way to their destination. Surely they would make their way there eventually.
_______
Perception, hard: 2eA+3eD 2 failures, 1 threat

[Nirilli]

Nirilli wouldn't be waiting long. The Bene Gesserit arrived soon after her.

...

Reverend Mother Cordana and Lady Salomea seemed more interested in the quiet conversation between each other than in the swelling, teeming mass of anxiously excited people. Even without understanding the words, which could not actually be understood as they were speaking in some obscure language, one could tell the relationship was one of deference, obeisance even, of the younger toward the elder.

Nirilli's presence had surely been noticed, it was certainly unusual in the antipodal section, but not yet addressed.

Nirilli observed as Lady Salomea spoke to the newcomer dressed in Bene Gesserit robes. This was one of the visitors from their rainy home planet. One who appeared high ranking. Likely the senior of the other one who stood apart. And clearly the senior of Lady Salomea. Nirilli recognized obeisance when she saw it. It was a melody she knew; a familiar choreography.

Therefore, she would not interrupt Lady Salomea's quiet conversation with a superior.

She would wait for an obvious break in their conversation. An appropriate moment to quietly approach Lady Salomea, and then stand and wait to be acknowledged, at Lady Salomea's convenience.

[Kannon]

Emcas was inconfortable in the crowd. He was used to be attentive to the dangers immediate to Xanthe's safety not search a crowd.

He frowned and made his way to their destination. Surely they would make their way there eventually.

His way up would be as arduous as the rest's, but at least he knew it.

[Emcas]

One advantage of being an imposing brawny man is that most people don't go out of their way to stand in yours.

[Kannon]

One advantage of being an imposing brawny man is that most people don't go out of their way to stand in yours.

He would therefore be one of the first to get to the balcony, where Nirilli was still waiting and Shinah was... being Bene Gesserit.

She would wait for an obvious break in their conversation. An appropriate moment to quietly approach Lady Salomea, and then stand and wait to be acknowledged, at Lady Salomea's convenience.

There was no obvious break to the conversation even though Nirilli could be sure she has been noticed. The two Bene Gesserit moved to the corner of the balcony. She could make an interesting observation, however. She became sure that the alien language of two women wasn't actually a language, at least not any more, but gibberish, a torn, distorted and incomprehensible crescendo of sounds unlike any human speech.

Cuyler and Xard were on the cusp of arriving too. The higher they were getting inside the majestic Oon, the fewer people impeded their progress.

For some reason, force-fields on various levels, from equator to the northern polar circle, were being tested in consecution, shimmering at some joints as if they could form an upward spiral.

[Cuyler Gray]

"Whoa wait hold on, probably not the best idea just yet."

"We're not far. But lets hold off, with the crowd as large as it is we can maintain our cover and talk plainly." He looked at Laila before continuing, "We were sort of outed at the onset, but the waters are murky enough for us to proceed without a clear line connecting us. And I think it's better that you two stay clean and free to move about without scrutiny."

"I'm not sure that anyone who us aware that we arrived together will believe that we aren't collaborating in some way." Cuyler responded. "Regardless, it is likely best to maintain some distance until we figure out who, if anyone, we can trust. I believe we were all invited to the same balcony, however."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"I'm not sure that anyone who us aware that we arrived together will believe that we aren't collaborating in some way." Cuyler responded. "Regardless, it is likely best to maintain some distance until we figure out who, if anyone, we can trust. I believe we were all invited to the same balcony, however."

"Agreed, but to update you both before we meet. The lady shifted her bodyguard on to us to act as a shadow. Otherwise she's letting us be for now. The thing is, despite my bluster, I shouldn't be on the list. Figuring out how and who put me there is a clue. I just need to figure out how and where it happened."

A pause before he lowers his voice.

"Keep your eyes out for the name Chilon. Chilon Chilonides." Another thoughtful pause. "Don't chase the name, just let me know where you see it."

[Cuyler Gray]

"Understood."